Memories: A Prince's First Ball
by empyreality
Summary: Not all memories are bad. Zuko's first ball. chibi maiko


** None of the characters are mine but the plot is a result of my overly active imagination. Therefor, all standard disclaimers apply**

** This is my first chibi story and also my first fluffy fic. Please enjoy and if possible leave a review or some criticism.  
**

Zuko shifted in his chair restlessly. Tonight was his first ball, a coming out to Fire Nation Society, a chance to prove his worth or be the laughingstock of royalty. He remembered in his prince lessons the tale of Prince Da Long who at his first ball sat in one of the ceremonial cakes. He had forever been known as "the pastry-butt prince" and whenever he turned his back to those in court, he would hear the snickers of the ladies in waiting and the guffaws as politicians pointed jokingly at his rear. No, Zuko did not want to become the next "pastry-butt prince" and was determined to be the best prince the Fire Nation court had ever seen. This resolve however was not enough to sustain him for the preparation.

Zuko twitched with nervousness as his mother bustled around his room, helping him get ready. He already wore the traditional garb of royalty, deep red and brilliant gold, the colors of the Fire Nation and the flames that its warriors so skillfully wielded. The robe, while intricately decorated, was a pain to wear. The fabric was itchy from the delicate embroidering and was so thin that he shivered although it was a warm spring day. He dared not attempt his budding fire-bending abilities to warm himself in fear that he would set his clothes aflame. What bothered him most however was the collar, it was stiff from the reinforcements sewn in and rubbed against his jaw most unbearably. He was still struggling with the nuisance of it when his mother, finished with helping her son, announced proudly,

"You are ready".

He looked at his mother in the beautiful dress that befitted a princess and smiled back at her. She quickly ushered him out of his room reminding Zuko that punctuality was a virtue that the Fire Nation always prized. They traveled quickly, reaching the grand atrium in short time. Zuko suddenly felt nervous, the feeling consuming him and sending prickles down his spine and his hands grow cold. Attempting to qualm the feeling, he balled his hands into fists and held his head high as he was being announced along with his mother. Zuko could see the crowd of people, all eyes on him, as he descended the staircase. He could see the gleam of pride in his father's eyes as he came down and he saw his sister, watching discontentedly, her eyes rolling. As his feet touched the last step, people clamored around him. Some where congratulating him on his coming of age, others just looked at him, an experience that was slightly unnerving. He remembered Prince Da Long and he suddenly became very self conscious, hoping that he didn't have anything on his new clothes.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a particularly forward family talking to his parents. They were of course nobles as could be seen from their attire but from their animated actions he could see that they were focused on giving a good impression on his parents. Ursa and Ozai were composed as they listened to the couple's talk but he knew they were not the most pleased with the circumstances. He recalled his mother's rants after balls of noble families crowding most unpleasantly. The family looked nice enough, a stern looking father, much like his own, a mother who was round with child, and a girl that looked a little younger than him. She was dressed in the traditional formal clothes of Fire Nation Girls, embroidered silk dresses with high, stiff collars. The sleeves were long and flared out and her hair was set in-dare he say it? - adorable buns. He saw that she was talking impassively with his sister and one of Azula's other friends he believed was named was Ty-Lee. Assuming they were friends from school, he didn't give the girl another though as he continued to greet the other guests.

Time seemed to go quickly as the Ball continued and soon it was dinner. He sat on his father's right for most of the meal however when dessert arrived he was moved to join the younger group as his father had "important matters" to discuss. His mother gave him a warm smile as he walked off to join the other adolescents. He saw the girl again, she looked bored as she played around with the food on her plate. "No one should be alone at a ball" his mother had once told him, so he decided to sit next to her. He ignored his sister's smirk as he sat and asked for the girl's name as he had been taught a proper host should.

"Mai" she said politely and resumed to maneuver her food around her plate. Zuko sat silent, wondering what to say when suddenly the waiters brought out the dessert and set the delicious looking food in front of them. He recognized it as a Fire Nation delicacy, he had never tried it but it was highly spoken of throughout the country. Eager to taste it, he quickly took a bite and choked on the bitterness of the dish. He was coughing quite embarrassingly and he imagined he was worse than "Prince Pastry-Butt" and his face turned scarlet both from coughing and the embarrassment.

He looked at Mai and noticed that she was calmly eating the dish, her face as emotionless as ever but he thought he saw laughter in her eyes and a slight smile. The fact that she could stomach the "delicacy" won admiration from the Fire nation prince but then he noticed her clenched fist, the knuckles white from the pressure that she added with each bite. He smiled, knowing that he wasn't the only one who disliked the dish but cursed at his lack of composure knowing his father would reprimand him for it.  
Desperate for an excuse to leave the table and the whispering guests, he noticed the small group of dancers dancing in the center of the room. It was the perfect plan, but it faced a small problem; he needed a partner. Scanning around, he finally settled on Mai, hoping she would cooperate he placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

Nervousness consumed him yet again as he asked almost breathlessly,  
"Would you like to dance?"  
She stared at him blankly and in the silence his anxiety increased dramatically as he feared her refusal would make him appear more of a fool. Slowly, she said, the words he had been anticipating.

"I guess"

He was surprised at her apparent reluctance, he assumed she would be ecstatic to have a chance to dance with a prince, any other girl would. As they stepped out on the dance floor however, Zuko got the feeling that Mai wasn't an average girl. The band stuck up a chord and the pair started to dance. The music was spirited and the dance quick and Zuko found his hold on Mai's waist loosen as he grew tired. The song was longer than he anticipated and as they made their way around the dance floor he thought hopelessly to himself, nothing is going right.

Mai, somewhat to his surprise, was an excellent partner. She followed his lead perfectly and executed the dance with a grace that told of years of practice. He should have known though, all nobles were required to learn the dances although not many continued to practice the steps. The music changed seamlessly, signaling the start of a new dance but there was a problem, it was a dance he didn't know. Clumsily, Zuko attempted to mimic the movements of the other dancers but failed, treading on Mai's toes in the process.

"Sorry" he mumbled after stepping on Mai's for the seventh time. She struggled to give a consoling smile as she gave a polite response. Their dance had become more of a shuffle and Zuko could almost feel his plan crashing down on him. Mai attempted to keep a straight face but could not help but grimace as Zuko stepped on her foot, yet again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko could see Azula laughing at him as she whispered to her friend. His face grew hot as he imagined her comments on his poor dancing. To his relief, the music finally ended and Zuko walked dejectedly off the dance floor with Mai trialing behind. His so called perfect plan was ruined but he was determined to salvage the remainder of the night. Turning to face Mai he said quickly, "thank you for dancing with me" and then rushed off. In his haste, he did not notice Mai's small smile nor did he see the faint blush that found its way to her face.

Zuko made his way to the court gardens, anxious to escape the embarrassment of the dancing behind him. The whispers from the guests were bad enough but the sympathetic look his mother gave him was burned in his mind. He didn't even want to know what his father thought of him.

Lying on the lush grass, the pince attempted to rid his mind of the disappointments of the evening. He knew he should be returning to the ball but his pride got the better of him. At that moment, he believed himself worse than the "pastry-butt prince" himself and had no desire to return to the party to embarrass himself further.

The quiet of the garden was calming and Zuko allowed himself to relax as he lay in the grass. He was startled however when he heard a "thunk" nearby. Similar sounds followed and Zuko scrambled up, curious to discover the cause of the noise.

He tread quietly, following the sounds and the sight that greeted him filled him with shock. It was Mai and in her hand was a knife, glistening in the moonlight. There were several more knives imbedded in a tree nearby. Mai readied to throw another knife and was so deep in concentration that she did not notice Zuko approach her. She prepared to fling the weapon when she felt his hand on her shoulder. The knife dropped with a heavy thud as it fell on the grass, Mai was already crouched down low. Swiftly, she swung her leg around and knocked Zuko crashing down.

"Ouch" Zuko groaned as he felt his sore back, that was not the response he had anticipated.

"P-prince Zuko," Mai stammered, shocked that she had attacked him. Bowing low, she said fearfully, "please forgive me your majesty , I had no idea…" she trailed off. She stepped back as Zuko rose from the ground, fearing the worst punishment for her actions.

"It's alright," Zuko sighed brushing off the traces of grass that clung to him. "I suppose it's payback for the six times I stepped on your feet right?" he continued calmly. The most amazing thing happened then, Mai began to laugh. It started out as a giggle, a soft tinkling sound that Zuko found he enjoyed immensely and it grew to a warm laugh. It appeared contagious and Zuko found himself laughing as well, the whole situation was rather silly although neither knew why. The two soon quieted, their breaths coming in short gasps, when Mai said "actually, you stepped on my feet eight times, I kept track." The comment prompted a blank stare from Zuko before they both erupted in laughter again.

They found themselves sprawled on the garden greens as their laughter rang in the air. Both realized that it was unbecoming for them to be in such a state but at that moment, neither cared. For a time, they didn't have the pressures of nobility pressing down on them. They didn't have the judgmental looks of those around them; they could be the children they were.

It was quiet then, the silence of night broken only by the occasional chirps of crickets. It was nice though, and Zuko felt oddly relaxed with Mai even though he barely knew her. She was lying close by, her face turned towards the sky. Propping himself on one shoulder, Zuko asked her, "What were you doing just then, before I arrived?" He hated sounding so abrupt but he wanted to know.

Mai's eyes flickered in his direction before she said calmly, "practicing. I fight, with knives and other weapons of the like. Don't tell anyone though, my parents don't know. I don't think they'd be very happy if they found out either." Her comments surprised Zuko, he had imagined Mai to be the typical obedient daughter. He didn't know why, but he felt rather glad that he was wrong. "Besides," she continued, "the party was getting dull and I needed something to do."

They fell into a comfortable silence, each enjoying the other's company. Zuko found he liked Mai, not like-like he convinced himself, just like. She smelled… good, sweet but not overly so, certainly not overbearing like some of the other ladies at the ball. Zuko held the impression that they bathed in perfume before arrived. Mai was different though, she smelled nice but not sickly sweet and Zuko thought he could smell the faint scent of polishing oil. It was a scent he had grown familiar with after using broadswords for so long. He decided that Mai was pretty, her long hair, willowy form, and nearly flawless features made her beautiful, not cute. She was different which is why he was drawn to her but he kept telling himself he didn't _like _her like her.

They lay in the gardens, just looking at the night sky. Suddenly, a trail of fire streaked across the sky and burst in an explosion of light with a loud "Bang". The blast startled Mai who instinctively crept closer to Zuko. The prince on the other hand sat up in excitement. It was the start of the fireworks show, and he was eager to see the rest as they burst in the sky. It was beautiful, colorful explosions of various shapes and sizes lit up the sky. Mai relaxed as she saw it was only fireworks and the two watched the display in silence.

When the fireworks ended and only smoke was left in the sky, Zuko and Mai noticed their positions. They were close, too close. The two shot away from each other and they stared silently at each other. Luckily it was dark so neither saw the blushes on the other's faces. In the distance, Zuko heard his mother calling to him, it was time for the festivities to end. Getting up from the grass, Zuko said to Mai, "it was a pleasure to meet you."

"An honor your majesty," she replied formally. Somehow, from her, the comment irked him. He turned to leave but stopped when he heard her yell out, "I forgot to tell you your highness, you are an admirable dancer." He faced her, and he thought he saw a glint of mischief in her eyes. He smiled at the comment before replying,

"Thank you, but I'm sure that your poor feet have a very different opinion." She smiled at him, rising from the grass and made to collect her knives. Zuko smiled at her retreating back and returned to his family, sure he would never forget this night.

"So Zuko, how did you like your first ball?" asked his mother as they walked back to the bed chambers.

"It was… good," he replied, thinking about a certain girl. He decided that the night wasn't a complete failure and that maybe, just maybe he liked Mai a little more than he let on.


End file.
